We Are Not Our Parents
by Vaneria Potter
Summary: Mal knew that the 'Good Guys' weren't always as nice as they claimed, and had nearly as much trouble letting go of the past as Villains. She planned accordingly, and the confrontation on Family Day ended very differently. Minor Mal/Ben, mentions of other relationships. Light Chad and Audrey bashing, but more calling their movie characters out on their crap.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own Disney's "Descendents", or any of the associated characters._

 _Summary: Mal knew that some of the so-called Good people weren't as nice as they pretended, and had nearly as hard a time letting go as villains. Mal had no intention of letting herself be cast as the villain and risk being sent back to the Isle. She planned accordingly, and the Family Day Confrontation went a little differently, thanks to a few blunt truths._

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Even since her date with Ben, Mal had been feeling conflicted about the mission Maleficent had given them. At first, she hadn't thought it possible that someone could be so good without an ulterior motive. Anyone with eyes could tell that Ben and Audrey either wouldn't last, or would end up miserable. When the love potion had gone into effect with such speed and intensity, Mal had gone back to research it more closely.

They had seen the warning about the effect on pre-existing emotions, but had largely ignored it. Clearly, Ben didn't actively hate them, so there was no need to worry about periodic renewal. Mal hadn't reckoned on Ben being attracted to her already, or she would have chosen a less potent potion.

Meeting Ben's parents had been a little harrowing, but bearable. Jay and Carlos were happier here than they had ever been, and Evie, if still a little down over Chad, was coming into herself without the Evil Queen constantly insisting that beauty was all that mattered.

A lifetime of evil conditioning was hard to overcome, but lately, Mal had to constantly remind herself that Auradon was not Home. It became harder and harder to believe each time.

After all, Maleficent, Jafar, Cruella and the Evil Queen were stuck on the Island, and if they made a good impression, it would be possible to get the other children, the ones who didn't deserve to be there, away. That pressure, more than the mission, weighed on them.

Mal and her friends hadn't even been born when their parents were banished to the Isle of the Lost, but it often seemed like every time they turned around, they were confronted with the fact that Villains weren't the only ones seemingly incapable of letting bygones be bygones.

Case in point: Queen Leah, the mother of Sleeping Beauty.

Mal could feel all the progress they had made vanishing as the Queen's shouting drew the attention of the other parents, and she struggled not to remain calm and at least appear Good. "My daughter was raised by fairies, because of your mother's curse."

Mal's eyes flashed, greener than usual. "I am _not_ my mother, and I would have expected you, of all people, to be above punishing children for the actions of their parents."

After all, if Aurora's parents hadn't directly insulted Maleficent by excluding her while inviting literally everyone else in the world, Mal's mother probably would have contented herself with ruling the Forbidden Mountain, inflicting the occasional curse on the goblins and people who irritated her, and playing tricks on the Good Fairies. True, Leah and Stefan may have had to deal with the Mistress of Evil for some other reason, but deliberately snubbing a fairy, Good or Evil, was practically _asking_ for a curse!

Queen Leah's mouth dropped open. "Are you saying that what your mother did was our fault? How dare you!"

Mal felt her friends approach, flanking her protectively and ready to leap to her defence. "I'm saying that your daughter was lucky! Mother couldn't touch her until her sixteenth birthday, and after the fairies intervened, the worst she faced was a long nap until her true love showed up! She may have been raised in a cottage, but at least she wasn't forced to grow up like us!"

Chad popped up behind Audrey, always willing to cause trouble for the Isle kids. "What did you expect, your Majesty? They're villains, just like their parents. All they'll ever be is evil."

Evie stepped forward, regal and proud, every inch the princess that Auradon insisted she wasn't as she gripped Mal's hand. "That's rich coming from you, Prince Bullies-And-Bribes-Other-People-To-Do-His-Homework! For the children of Heroes, a lot of you don't act nearly as Good as you like to pretend!"

Audrey turned an unflattering shade that clashed horribly with her dress, spluttering in fury. "Says the gold-digger and the boyfriend-stealer! Why should we believe that you're any different from your parents?"

Jay stepped in. "You can't 'steal' someone's affection, and if you were raised by the Evil Queen, you'd be desperate to escape, too. They aren't the one who wanted Mal to undo the hair spells so that you could still be the prettiest, or the one who can't stand being the centre of attention and has to put other people down to make herself feel better!"

Chad shoved the taller boy, "You enjoy hurting people, what would you know?"

Carlos, of all people, shoved him back before picking up Dude, drawing courage from the dog. "People get tackled in Tourney, and it's not Jay's fault that he's better than you, get over it! Enjoying a sport doesn't make a person evil, or half of Auradon would be on the Isle by now!"

Ben appeared, closely followed by his parents, having to push their way through the growing crowd of spectators. "Everyone calm down. Queen Leah, the Isle kids are not - "

Mal cut him off with a hand on his arm and a kiss on the cheek, the latter at least a little to infuriate Audrey. "It's all right, Ben. We shouldn't have expected everyone to be as willing to look past their prejudice as you. We'll make ourselves scarce for the rest of the day, give them time to adjust."

If this continued, one of her friends would do something unfortunate, and they would come off as the bad guys. Right now, Sleeping Beauty's family (plus Chad) were on the receiving end of the disapproving looks, and Mal wanted to keep it that way. If they retreated now and played up the 'unfairly persecuted' angle, it would gain them sympathy and trust.

Maleficent might have been all about the Grand Displays of Power and Making Your Enemies Fear You, but that was how she wound up on the Isle of the Lost in the first place. Mal preferred the long game, the more subtle route. Your enemies still suffered, but no one felt sorry for them or said that they didn't deserve it.

Mal curtsied to the King and Queen, and turned to Audrey for a parting blow. "I'm sorry you need a prince to feel good about yourself, but there's no need to spread rumours or attempt to make my life miserable as revenge. My mother would be proud of that attitude, but I'm not so sure about yours."

Evie had caught on by now, and wrapped a supportive arm around Mal. "Come on, we'll do a fitting for your coronation dress."

A swift look at Jay had him grabbing a plate and filling it with strawberries, falling into step behind them with Carlos. "It's Family Day, so we may as well stick with you. You're as good as our sisters, anyway."

Mal and Evie reached their free hands behind them, gripping the boys' hands. "If the kitchen is free, we'll make a batch of cookies. Comfort food always helps."

Lonnie and Jane stepped forward, almost involuntarily. "Do you want - ?"

Jay flashed them a charming grin. "Thanks, but we'll be fine. Enjoy your visits."

They'd need to do something nice for the two of them, to show that being friends with the Isle Kids had benefits. Mal saw an approving smile from Fairy Godmother, and softening stances from several parents.

Perfect.

Who said that you had to curse someone to get revenge?

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 _A/N: Medieval Christenings were a BIG DEAL, and not being invited to one, especially if you were a person of status and power, was a massive insult. Maleficent probably would have turned down an invitation if she received one, since that was just as big an insult, but not being invited made her angry._

 _I'm way out of the intended age bracket for this movie, and maybe that affects my viewpoint, but seriously, some of the 'Good Guys' are almost Villainous in the attitudes! Before Family Day, the VKs were clearly having second thoughts about carrying through on their parent's plans. After Family Day, I wouldn't have blamed them in the slightest for going through with it._

 _Reviews are greatly appreciated, as is constructive criticism. Flames are not. Essentially, if you don't like something, tell me why, rather than hurling insults._

 _Also, if you like twisted fairytales, check out my profile or my published books, **Cinderella Grows a Spine** and **Snow White Learns Stranger Danger.**_

 _Thanks,_

 _Nat_


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I do not own Disney's Descendents, or any of the associated characters. I merely have a potentially unhealthy fixation on them._

 _Summary: See Previous Chapters._

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

Evie made a few adjustments to Mal's dress, since actually eating three meals a day was making all of them grow a little, while Mal made a few mental adjustments to their plans. Carlos beat Jay at the Playstation before Jay left him to it, making sarcastic comments and engaging in Magical Keep-Away with Mal when he tried to filch a few of her strawberries. Evie mostly ignored them, and occasionally livened things up by using her mirror to distract one or the other.

Jay had finally snatched a berry and was dangling it teasingly above Mal's head when there was a knock on the door, heralding the arrival of Ben, Lonnie, Doug and Jane. Mal kicked Jay in the shins and turned her attention to their guests. "Hey. How did the rest of the day go?"

Doug looked almost apologetic as he explained, "Well, the rumours are that you're here as part of an evil plot by your parents."

He looked startled when all of the Isle Kids scoffed. Mal scowled. "They wish, but like I said, we are not our parents."

Lonnie arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Carlos sighed. "You might want to settle in. Explaining will take some background information."

The Auradon kids found seats, and Mal began, leaning back against Ben. "Lonnie, when you found us making cookies, you figured out that our upbringing wasn't exactly hugs and rainbows, right?"

Lonnie nodded, looking sad. "We all thought that even villains loved their kids, but I'm guessing that isn't quite the case?"

They all nodded, and Maleficent's daughter continued. "We didn't get hugs, cookies or reassurance when something bad happened to us. We were told that we were a disappointment to their legacy, punished and told to do better."

Jane's mouth dropped open. She faced a lot of expectations as the Fairy Godmother's daughter, and knew that she didn't exactly live up to them, but her mother was never anything short of encouraging, even if she did refuse to make Jane beautiful. Carlos took up the tale. "If you're lucky, your parents see you as a particularly useful minion. Sometimes, you're an inconvenient burden, or a second chance at reliving their glory days that you never live up to."

Evie rolled her eyes. "I learned to apply make-up before I learned to speak, and everything my mother allowed me to learn was designed to help me catch a prince. What I wanted to learn didn't matter. I had to hide my books and play dumb because Mom thought that intelligence would scare away my future husband, whoever that happened to be."

Doug placed a tentative arm around her shoulders. Evie graced him with a small smile. "When we arrived, I wanted to make a good impression, show that even though we were raised in squalor, it didn't define us. The first thing Audrey did was tell me that I wasn't a princess, but she was, and I was nothing compared to her. I'm Snow White's half-sister, even if Mom doesn't have Royal Status. I tried to flirt with Chad because his mother was a commoner, and her step-sisters claim that she was nice. Anastasia would be toast if Lady Tremaine wasn't there to protect her."

Jay grinned as he patted Evie's hand. "We still aren't sure how she even ended up on the isle in the first place, since the worst she did was follow the example she was set. Her nephew, Anthony, is pretty much a copy of Chad, trading off his name and his famous grandmother to protect him."

Ben looked a bit awkward, but didn't defend his fellow Tourney player as Jay continued the tale, "My dad doesn't really care what I do, as long as I steal enough to keep the shelves stocked, and bring him any lamp I find. Mal's real name is Maleficent, but her mom won't let her use it until she earns the right, whatever that means. She punished Mal for helping someone who tripped in the marketplace, when we were kids."

Ben wrapped his arms around Mal, who didn't protest, while Jane rested her head on Carlos's shoulder. "Suddenly I feel so much better about my mom. She's never made me feel worthless because I don't have the magic skill she does, or because I'm not beautiful."

Lonnie looked awkward, having a good relationship with her mother, despite their differences. "There was also a rumour about Love Potions. Well, less of a rumour and more of Audrey complaining that it was the only explanation, because she and Ben were so perfect together."

Mal lifted one hand, wiggling it a little. "Yes and no. It was a potion that amplified pre-existing emotions, but it was more about neutralising Audrey's ability to hurt us. If Ben and I hadn't at least liked each other, it wouldn't have lasted long until the end of the Tourney Game."

She looked anxiously up at Ben, who shrugged. "I know what a love potion feels like, but it hasn't been in effect since I went swimming in the Enchanted Lake. It washes away all enchantments. What does that have to do with Audrey?"

The Isle kids exchanged awkward looks, and Evie sighed. "Well, it was kind of obvious that you were only together because she wouldn't let you go and you couldn't figure out a way to break up with her. It was really obvious that she didn't want us here, and with all of her talk about how you were going to be king, and how Queen Belle can influence her husband's decisions…"

Lonnie rolled her eyes. "Audrey never made it a secret that she considered herself top dog because she was dating you. It wasn't exactly a secret that she felt threatened by the Isle kids, either. She's been jumping on any excuse to complain that they never should have been allowed off the Isle."

Ben looked disappointed and even a bit angry. "Even if we were still together at the time, Audrey wouldn't have been able to do that." He stroked Mal's arm. "I hope you know that."

Carlos shrugged. "We hoped that, but Queen Belle was a big part of the Education Sector in Auradon, and we're what decides if the Isle of the Lost remains closed, or if other children are allowed off, once we prove ourselves. We couldn't risk it."

Jane hugged him tightly, her plain face almost glorious in it's fierce determination. "I'll open up an entire new reform school myself, if I have to. Well, once I graduate and figure out the funding and location."

Evie brightened. "I think my Mom's castle is still empty."

Lonnie grinned at their enthusiasm, but turned serious. "Back to your parent's plans for you…"

Jay shrugged. "Maleficent wanted us to steal the Fairy Godmother's wand and bring back the Bad Old Days. None of us were exactly keen on it, but defying Maleficent is dangerous at best." He scoffed, "Like we'd ever want to go back under their thumbs. Auradon is a good place, even if certain of its inhabitants could use improvement, and we'd prefer making things better for our friends than ruining life for everyone here. I like Tourney, and Victory Pizza, and not wondering if enough of the food stalls at the Market are still open for me to steal dinner, if Dad isn't satisfied by my haul for the day."

Ben frowned, becoming the future king for a minute. "So what do you plan to do?"

Mal faced him squarely, Leader to Leader. "After Coronation, they will figure out that we don't plan on playing along. If they have a way off the Isle, that's when they'll use it. We'll never be able to go home, but at least we'll know enough to plan our next move."

Her boyfriend nodded. "And your thoughts on the future of the Isle of the Lost?"

Mal frowned. "It depends. Some of them don't deserve to be there, like some of the minions and Anastasia. Others… well, they took their parents' lessons to heart, and the best we can do there might be to improve the services and food that the Isle receives. Maybe divide up the Isle so the major villains have their own place to rule and let them spend their time fighting each other."

Doug, Lonnie and Jane all blinked in confusion. Jay laughed. "Mal was raised to basically take over from Maleficent as ruler of the Isle of the Lost, even if she didn't share her Mom's ideas of what that involved."

Carlos waved it off. "There's a reason no-one got on her bad side. Anyway, the only thing we don't have a plan for is if something happens at Coronation itself. But the odds of that, barring interference from someone we don't know about, are low."

Their Villain parents were far from the only problem they had, but having something to focus on stopped them from dwelling on the prejudice they faced from other corners.

Evie forced the discussion into a brighter direction, focussing on Lonnie and Jane, "So, what are you girls wearing to Coronation?"

Jane flopped back onto the bed. "Save me. The same 'little girl matron' style I'm stuck with now."

Evie and Mal exchanged glances. "Bring it here. We don't have time to make an entire new one, but we can adjust it a bit."

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 _A/N: Right, next chapter up. It took a little longer than I had planned, but I've been very busy with the original stories for my next anthology and novellas, organising an upcoming Bookstall, sewing a bunch of children's medieval clothes, finishing up at my old job and preparing for my new one. Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long_

 _Obviously, I'm changing the motivations a bit into something more in line with what four teens who survived their childhood with four of Disney's greatest Villains are likely to be. Faced with the contrast between Auradon and the Isle of the Lost, they'd rather be free of their parents and bring the other Villainous Kids over than turn Auradon into a second Isle, where they'd still be stuck with 'Back in my day..." and "When I was your age...", and expected to be carbon copies of parental expectations, rather than themselves._

 _Reviews and constructive criticism, as always, are greatly appreciated._

 _Thanks,_

 _Nat_


	3. OMG! IMPORTANT!

Oh. My. God.

One of my original works has actually been nominated for a book award!

"The Highwayman's Legacy" is in the running for the Crimson Quill 2016!

The website is being stubborn about letting me put links in, so go to BookViral and add the link below to the end of the URL (remove spaces).

/ the-highwaymans-legacy / 4592955133


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